Man Convicted in Bombing Seaside 5K, Chelsea Faces Life Sentence

UPDATE: On Monday, Ahmad Khan Rahami, 29, of Elizabeth, New Jersey was convicted of setting explosives in Manhattan and New Jersey last September, including the bomb, described below, that exploded along the route of a U.S. Marine Corps charity race in Seaside Park, New Jersey. The two bombs injured dozens of people, but no one was killed. Rahami was found guilty on eight charges, including using a weapon of mass destruction and bombing a public place, during the second day of jury deliberations. The conviction carries a mandatory life sentence.

It happens: Runners wait until the last minute to sign up for a race. The start area is congested, and people can’t find a place to park. And so the race is delayed, to accommodate the late arrivals.

Such was the scene on Sept. 17, 2016, at the Seaside Semper Five 5K race in Seaside Park, New Jersey. That unplanned delay may have saved scores of people from injury, or worse.

The race, which supports a foundation serving members of the U.S. Marine Corps and their families, always has had good turnout—more than 750 finishers in its first year, and more than 1,000 last year. The 2016 event saw even bigger numbers, with a surge of late registrants showing up on race day to participate in either the one-mile fun run or the 5K.

“We knew we were going to have a large crowd,” race director Frank Costello told Runner’s World. “But we were getting close to race time, and people were still getting into line to pick up bibs. I said ‘Okay. Let’s delay the race to allow everyone to sign up.’”

That nearly 30-minute delay turned out to be incredibly fortunate, as a device exploded along the race route just as runners would have been passing by. Had runners and spectators been nearby, many likely would have been injured, or possibly killed. The 5K was canceled soon after the bomb went off.

Reflecting on the events, Costello was grateful. “As a race director, you don’t ever like to have delays,” he said. “But in this case, the way it turned out ... I think God was really watching out for us.”

According to authorities, the device was made up of three bombs connected to a timer. Only one ended up going off. Ahmad Khan Rahami of Elizabeth, New Jersey, was charged in federal court in connection to the Seaside bomb—as well as others found in New York City and Elizabeth.

Tom Nugent, a race volunteer, was about three blocks from the blast. “I heard a loud bang and saw a cloud of blue smoke,” said Nugent, 66. “At first I thought it was a truck backfiring, but I did not observe any trucks in the area. My next thought: an explosion, larger than a firecracker.”

Jessica Skarzynski, 33, a runner from Central New Jersey who blogs at Jess Runs Happy, was also at the race, as a participant. She was in the start area, about ¾ of a mile from the blast, but didn’t hear it go off. There was music playing and runners chatting. She found out about the explosion later, but was grateful for the delay—and for the quick reaction of officials. “The [police and race officials] were really well organized. I can’t thank them enough for being so efficient and not causing panic.”

Bethanie Adams, 33, a runner with the Ocean Running Club in Toms River, New Jersey, had participated in the race the previous two years. She was in the start area and did hear the blast, but didn’t immediately realize what it was. She too was appreciative for response. “The police were great—at no point did I feel like I was in danger. They got us out of there quickly and safely,” Adams said.

Here’s a map and an approximate timeline of the events, based on interviews with Costello, Nugent, Skarzynski, and Adams, and media reports:

Dan Redding/Google Maps

8:50-ish a.m. Because of the large number of late registrants, Costello makes the decision to delay the races until everyone is registered.

9:00 a.m. The one-mile race is scheduled to start, but does not.

9:28 a.m. The one-mile race begins. It is an out-and-back on part of the 5K course. Nugent is stationed at the farthest point—the half-mile turnaround, to direct runners back to the finish. As the mile runners begin, 5K runners, including Skarzynski and Adams, gather at the starting line.

9:30 a.m. The 5K race is scheduled to start, but does not.

9:35 a.m. At the half-mile turnaround, Nugent hears an explosion “louder than a firecracker” and sees a plume of smoke. Police, who are close by for security, immediately investigate. At the starting line, Adams hears a bang, assumes it is “a race noise” like a starting pistol, and doesn’t think more about it.

9:38-9:40 a.m. Nugent looks at his cell phone and starts walking back to the start. Police have blocked the area around the explosion and are moving people out of the area.

9:40-9:45 a.m. Costello, who is at the race start, is unaware there’s been an explosion. After he is alerted, a volunteer tells him that a backpack left near the start hasn’t been claimed. Race officials immediately move runners away from the course and onto a side street.

9:50 a.m. Word of the explosion has still not reached many in the starting area, including Adams. She looks at her watch and grumbles to a friend, “We should have been done by now.”

9:50 – 10:05 a.m. Runners begin to complain about the delays and being moved. They are told about the suspicious backpack, but not the explosion. They are moved even farther down the block. Skarzynski, feeling nervous, leaves the start area, and walks around the corner with her husband and friend to wait.

Eventually, the backpack is deemed to be safe, and, according to a story in the Asbury Park Press, is claimed by a high school student.

Eleven hours later and about 80 miles to the north, an explosion occurs in the Chelsea section of Manhattan, injuring 31 people. Officials later arrest Rahami after a shootout with police.

* * *

The Tunnel to Towers Foundation announced it was inviting all Seaside Semper Five registrants to run the Tunnel to Towers 5K in Lower Manhattan for free.

As for Adams, the incident in Seaside left her unnerved—but undeterred.

“I’m a little uncomfortable in large numbers,” Adams said. “But I love running and the running community. I think it’s terrible that this took place, but it’s not stopping me. I’m still training for the Steamtown Marathon. I’m still going to run it.”

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